Background

NOTE: Signed Offeror’s Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and availability - https://www.ba.undp.org/content/dam/bosnia_and_herzegovina/docs/Operations/Jobs/Offerors%20Letter%20to%20UNDP%20Confirming%20Interest%20and%20Availability.docx - Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability.docx - to be sent to e-mail ba.shared.hr@undp.org with Subject: Job ID 96812.

The overall goal of the second Project phase is to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina through empowered, gender responsive local communities (MZs) that facilitate active citizen engagement in public life, stand for people-centred performance of local governments and catalyse democratic transformation at the local level. The Project focuses on encouraging community led local development and revitalizing community governance through mjesne zajednice in order to achieve this goal. Mjesna zajednica is the smallest administrative unit for direct government engagement with citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The goal of the first phase of the Project has been achieved with significant and measurable progress made toward achieving the three original Project outcomes and their related outputs.

The Project's implementing strategy is to support and drive forward change from bottom-up by engaging citizens and communities and giving them a voice in local governance processes, and by revitalising MZs as spaces where citizens come together to interact and involve, to identify and solve problems, to transmit their concerns to the local government and participate in the ways it makes its plans, spends their money and takes decisions that affect people’s lives. The key direct Project stakeholders are 200 MZs and 41 LGs, as well as their respective local communities that are not direct part of the project.

Purpose of the Consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to add supplementary channels of communications and to further expand the scope and range of possibilities for civic participation, engagement, and collaboration within local communities by the means of technology deployment and the development of appropriate online solutions.

Also, the purpose of this consultancy is to further upgrade the existing MZ web portal  (www.mjesnazajednica.ba), created as a central online space of the project to engage people and practitioners into collaborative action, inform on interventions in local communities and promote achievements of the Strengthening the Role of Local Communities in BiH initiative. This upgrade includes expansion of the existing web portal to integrate new municipal and MZ community profiles, as well as to accommodate active users from additional 18 new LGs, 200 new MZs, 18 new community hubs, as direct Project beneficiaries. All of these beneficiaries should have an opportunity to register as users, enabling their unique space on the web portal (and its corresponding mobile application), access to all functionalities including horizontal and vertical communication channels, collaborative work with all MZ Project constituencies, and the ability to contribute to Ukljucise.ba. Finally, the consultant will create and integrate the new space within the existing web portal for exchange of good practice and know-how among municipalities and MZs in relation to COVID-19 pandemics, as well as carry out any additional adjustments in the web portal structure and/or presentation in to meet the project needs and /or donor requests. For this purpose, Web Developer will be engaged.

Objective of the Consultancy

The objective of the consultancy is to expand the existing web portal to accommodate the new municipalities, MZ and citizens and grant them opportunity to create their own space and access to all functionalities of the MZ web portal and enable new project beneficiaries active use of the site, promotion and engagement with the citizens. Also, this consultancy will ensure relevant web portal upgrades and improvements of the existing project website www.mjesnazajednica.ba. The above listed tasks will require the services of one Web Developer for the duration of 17 days.

Duties and Responsibilities

In the scope of his first task, the consultant is required to expand existing web portal with at least new 236 spaces required for LGs/MZs/CH as their unique spaces. These should be done based on the model of already existing spaces of partner LGs/MZs/CH. Each of 200 MZs is an independent platform with different functionalities, and it is expected that each MZ web space should be created and interlinked with the respective municipality, Community Hub, etc. This consultancy requires creation of each new MZ and Community Hub online space individually with all related tools such as: Notices, Calendar, Documents, Citizens' Forum, Open Forum, MZ Members, Civic Initiatives, Public Debates, etc., followed by creating interlinkages between the associated municipalities and the news section subsystem. For each of the planned 236 new LGs, this involves a process of creation, configuration and testing. Each Municipality on the platform has its own administrator and each MZ and Community Hub has its own content administrator. Project team will provide necessary input on required details. 

The consultant will promote usage of the web portal by organizing and conducting at least 4 (four) regional workshops for all local administrators (assigned for administration of LG, MZ or CH part of the platform.)

The consultant is also expected to carry out the testing of the web portal after upgrade in different browsers and environments. This process entails collecting feedback from users with administrative and editorial roles, correcting any coding errors, solving problems and fixing bugs. Finally, it is expected that the consultant will prevent and detect any security vulnerabilities in the web portal and promptly alleviate any identified flaws.

This consultancy will be undertaken under the supervision of the Project Manager and MZ ICT Specialist.

The Web Developer is therefore expected to:

• Conduct the required technical adjustments and the related restructuring of the web portal www.mjesnazajednica.ba in order to integrate new project beneficiaries, in line with the two beneficiary waves outlined in the Terms of Reference;
• Carry out the testing of the web portal after upgrade in different browsers and environments. This process entails collecting feedback from users with administrative and editorial roles, correcting any coding errors, solving problems and fixing bugs;
• Organize and conduct at least 4 regional workshops for administrators and users to promote, demonstrate and thoroughly explain usage of all functionalities of the MZ Web platform.
• Prevent and detect security vulnerabilities in the web portal and alleviate any identified flaws.

Deliverables/outputs

Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modelling UN values and ethical standards;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
• Demonstrates professional competence to meet responsibilities and post requirements and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;
• Results-Orientation: Plans and produces quality results to meet established goals, generates innovative, practical solutions to challenging situations;
• Communication: Excellent communication skills, including the ability to convey complex concepts and recommendations, both orally and in writing, in a clear and persuasive style tailored to match different audiences;
• Teamwork: Ability to interact, establish and maintain effective working relations with a culturally diverse team;
• Client orientation: Ability to establish and maintain productive partnerships with national partners and stakeholders and pro-activeness in identifying of beneficiaries and partners’ needs and matching them to appropriate solutions;
• Strong analytical and reporting abilities; Excellent organizational and facilitation skills; Excellent public presentation and moderation skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications/Education:

• A university degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology

Experience:

• At least 7 years of relevant and proven professional experience in development and administration of web portals.
• Extensive portfolio in creating ICT for development-oriented web-based solutions and mobile applications.
• Extensive portfolio of fully accessible, WCAG 2.0. compliant web solutions, including online solutions for marginalized and/or socially excluded groups;
• Experience in applying Agile approach to web portal development;
• Excellent IT skills and knowledge of CMS application that supports the creation and modification of digital content;
• Previous experience in working with UNDP and LGs/MZs is an asset.

Languages Requirements:

• Fluency in languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina (excellent writing, editing and communication skills). Fluency in English is an asset.

Other Requirements:

• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities; WCAG 2.0. applied knowledge, excellent organizational, time management and facilitation skills.

Longlisting/Shortlisting Criteria

Qualifications as stated in the ToR

Technical Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation

Individual  will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the candidate whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

• * Technical Criteria weight-70%
• * Financial Criteria weight- 30%

Interested candidated must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work; 
• Provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work; or sample of previous document/strategy/paper done by the consultant.

Please scan all above mentioned documents and upload as one attachment only online through this website.

Note:

• For an assignment requiring travel, consultants of 65 years or more require full medical examination and statement of fitness to work to engage in the consultancy.
• Due to large number of potential applicants, only competitively selected candidates will be contacted for remaining steps of the service procurement process.